Improvement in methods of making wooden hoops



L. REED-A METHOD OF MAKING WOODEN HOOPO.A NO.188,412.. Patented March 13, v1877'.

@g4 lllllllll NJETERS, PNOY-LFI'HOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, ,0, C.'

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIs REED, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MET-HODSOF'MAKING WOODEN HOOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,412, dated March 13, 1877; application filed January 8, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, LOUIS REED, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, haveinvented an Improvement in the Method of Making Wooden Hoops, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the method, hereinafter particularly described, of fabricating wooden barrel-hoops and consists incutting the wood out of which hoops are to be made into a sheet or lamina corresponding in thickness to the hoop for which it is intended, then cutting from this sheet or lamina a curved piece or strip forming the segment ofa circle, and then bending this piece Iiatwise into the hoop form, when the edge having' the larger curve will have the larger diameter, and the hoop thus in the process of making may be made flaring to iit the bulge of a barrel.

Figure 1 represents a sheet of wood, from the lower end of which a curved piece for a hoop has been cutn Fig. 2 is a side view of a curved piece cut from the sheet, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of a hoop made of the same. Fig.

5 is a top or face view of such hoop.

-In practicing my improved method of making wooden barrel-hoops, I prefer tocut wood into sheets by revolving a log against the s edge of a cutting-knife in the manner in common use. They may, however, be sliced or sawed from blocks of wood, as may be found inost convenient. From such a sheet, which is cut as thick as the proposed thickness of the intended hoops, strips or pieces are cut, so that the grain of the wood shall run length'- wise of such strips or pieces, which are to be formed into hoops. Instead of cutting these pieces straight, they are cut curved edgewise, as represented by Fig. 2. This may be couveniently done by laying the sheet upon a suitable bed, and, bringing down upon it a curved knife long enough to extend across the sheet. This knife may be made to move in a reciprocating gate or carriage, or otherwise.

It is evident that when this'piece, Fig. 2, is bent atwise into a hoop the upper edge, with the greater curvature, will have the greater diameter, and thus the hoop will be madearing to fit the taper or bulge of a barrel.

I am aware that wooden barrel-hoops are made daring by beveling them or making one edgethinner than the other. I do not, therefore, claim, broadly, the fabrication of wooden barrel-hoops so that they flare to ft the taper or bulge ofthe barrel, intending to limit my claim to the' particular method herein described of accomplishing that end.

What I -do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y The method herein described of fabricating a Wooden barrel-hoop, by cutting the Wood intoa sheet and then cutting from such sheet a curved strip or piece, and bending the same into a hoop, whereby a hoop is made Haring to fit the bulge or taper of a barrel.

Witness my hand this 26th day of December, 1873.

LOUIS REED. Witnesses:

B. S. CLARK,

WM. G. BUssEY. 

